Mark Kennedy

[robbie_B]

He has been playing left back for Wolves. Do you think he can still do a good job for us? He is 28 now should be at his peak - I thought this feller was going to be a world beater when he was a t Millwall. I think if he can stay away from another injury he might force his way in. Hope he has a terrible game tommorow against QPR with Martin Rowlands running rings round him.

[Slash/ED]

Do you think he can still do a good job for us?

No. One of the best parts of the Kerr era is we haven't had to see this clown in the green for some time.

[tricky_colour]

No. One of the best parts of the Kerr era is we haven't had to see this clown in the green for some time.

He has never looked like a clown when I have seen hin play
usually impressive. I have never seen him play left back but
I would feel more confident with him there than some of the
orther options.

[Slash/ED]

I wouldn't. He's the ultimate first division player. Will look amazing there yet time and time and time again he has spectacularly failed to make the step up to premiership level and has been consistently poor and lazy for Ireland. I'd have Harte back in a shot over him.

[Condex]

Mick McCarthy's baby sitter, not premiership standard, very inconsistent.

[Adrianovic]

No, and the fact we're even close to considering him really highlights how bad things are for us at left back. Ian Harte was a liability in many ways, but there's an argument for him being Premiership class, he got away with his frailties for so long. With the right partner on the left of midfield he could be good, but Duff isn't good enough defensively for him to cover up.

I remember a lad called Keith Foy who I thought was going to grow up to be half decent at left back. Shame it didn't work out.

Ade

[robbie_B]

Yeah Keith Foy was decent at forest for a season and then just seemed to not want it enough. Had a problem with his weight and general fitness so Forest got rid. I think Harte deserves a crack in the friendly games.

[tricky_colour]

I tried to find out about Keith Foy, he went on a free transfer to
Doncaster but I don't think he ever played a game for them
and is not listed in their current squad.

Anyway here is a pic of him
http://www.ltlf.co.uk/players/foy.htm

He looks a little overweight wouldn't you say, or is he
just 'big boned'.

Makes Andy Reid look slim.

Oops :p

[Slash/ED]

He left and signed for St Pats, who eventually let him go to Dublin City who quickly let him goto Monaghan United I think, one of the lower teams in the eircom league first division. I think he's still with Monaghan.

[tricky_colour]

Know he was a bit of a 'lad'.... :but no-one knocked him after a classic strike v.Yugoslavia in'99......the Andy Reid of his day :rolleyes: ;)! Love him to see him back in the squad,If he's matured,as had some decent talent :cool:

Am I correct that Keano was not too happy when he was dropped
from the squad by Mick because of some off the field activities?

[tricky_colour]

Unsure,as yer man says below,he was a 'McCarthy' :confused: player,so would have a feeling RMK's not exactly campaigning to get him back!


I seem to recall Kennedy and Phil Babb got into a spot of bother, possibly
related to drink but I do not recall clearly, anyway I think McCarthy dropped
them. I beleive Keane wanted them back.

Anyway this is the incident.

http://forums.tcm.ie/archive/index.php/t-7831.html

[Donal81]

Sorry about the length, would have posted a link but the Irish Times charge you for their archive and you can't access it without a password. Shame about Kennedy but he blew it himself, absolutely no one else to blame but himself, he got more chances than most. He played some cracking games but I largely remember him being disappointing. Throw in a boozy attitude towards the whole thing and you're left with a ropey career.

Fading Leaves Bring Sparky Memories

Locker Room: There are unsuspected pleasures that come with being untidy and disorganised. It's true that quite often you lose important things under the great chaotic mountains of the junk you accumulate for no good reason, but just as often when you go looking for what you need you get sidetracked by the discovery of interesting things you'd forgotten you had.

I have a rainforest's worth of notebooks stacked up all around me. Most of them are only half-used as I tend to leave home without one whenever I actually need one.

Then there's the problem I have with my pretentiousness. Usually it's not enough for me to buy a simple spiral-pad notebook with pages that flip over the top. Nope. I might decide that going to a minor game in Parnell Park requires the immediate purchase of a moleskin-covered collection of parchments assembled by Tibetan monks using wood pulp and the saliva of bald eagles. This I intend to use for scores and scorers, before beginning the great Irish novel after tea. Pretentious to a fault, that's moi.

Then the notebook gets tragically buried in a landslide of junk and only sees the light again when a small, furry rodent creeps out from underneath the paper alp having reconstituted its DNA from the moleskin.

This happened just the other day. There was a life-threatening avalanche of junk, and while poring through the debris I found a notebook which I'd bought in Riga, Latvia, in 1994. Nothing written in it but a few rain-blurred pages of reporting on an under-21 game between Ireland and Latvia. No memory of the game at all, but I can remember getting the notebook.

Funny thing was, there were adjectives hung like doodles down the margin as to how I would describe Mark Kennedy. As such the notebook was like a double find. I'd forgotten I owned the notebook. I'd forgotten about Mark Kennedy.

And who hasn't forgotten about him? As Ireland stretch their legs and find their strength in the new era, Kennedy isn't mentioned in any of the blueprints. Too much squandered promise. Too many "incidents". Too erratic. Too petulant.

Too yesterday.

Ten tears ago! Phew. Back then Mark Kennedy seemed like something that you could take to the bank. He'd had that season before he was shaving properly when he scored 49 goals for the Millwall youth side. He'd got into the full team at 16, scored four crackers in his first 13 games. He would be on his way to Liverpool the following summer. The most expensive teenager ever! Wonder stuff.

On that under-21 team which played in Riga he was the blue-chip prospect. Others who played that day have had mixed fortunes. Willie Boland, Alan Moore, Tony Sheridan, Phil Hardy, Shay Given, Gary Breen, Brian Launders, Dave Greene and Graham Kavanagh have had their various triumphs and failures, but, oddly, it is Kavanagh, then with Boro and Ireland's best player that day, who should give Kennedy most cause for hope. It's never too late.

It's been a long road, some of it spent unwisely perched upon a car bonnet in Harcourt Street, more of it spent in Wilmslow police station declining to submit to a breathalyser test. Those odd moments of madness have overshadowed what was once a monumental talent.

You could look at Kennedy's career in two ways. You could argue he was lucky. Mick McCarthy became manager at Millwall and took to the youngster straight away. He lived for a while in the apartment attached to the back of McCarthy's house in Bromley and used to baby-sit the manager's kids.

That fondness of McCarthy's for the kid they called Sparky transmuted itself into loyalty, and Kennedy got into Irish teams when Mick had a rule requiring his players to be playing first-team football at the time. He got forgiven more often than most, quicker than Phil Babb after the Harcourt Street incident, quicker than most after he was sent off in a qualifier in Iceland and McCarthy was heard to bellow, "Sparky, why do I ****ing bother?"

And often he rewarded McCarthy's faith. At the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign which was Mick's first task in charge we had a two-legged play-off with Belgium. In the first leg at Lansdowne Road Kennedy stank the place out. He was impressively awful and he was taken off after 33 minutes.

The next weekend in Brussels, McCarthy risked derision by picking him again. We lost, but Kennedy was superb.

He enjoyed that patronage and benefited from it. It looked like becoming a pattern. Roy Evans watched him score a remarkable cup goal for Millwall against Arsenal and reached for his chequebook.

Kennedy was the costliest teenager ever and Liverpool were his childhood sweethearts. The avuncular Evans would nurture him and let him grow. Good move, we all said. He was earning £3,000 a week, the tabloids said. Wow! we all said.

He made his full international debut back in the Charlton days in an away game against Austria. He was wonderful. Things could only get better with talent like that coming through.

He made his Red debut one day at Anfield against Leeds (ah), and when he came on Leeds were a goal up (ah, again). Kennedy arrived and drove a 30-yard screamer against the underside of the Leeds crossbar. It bounced down onto the line and somehow stayed out. Those centimetres were the difference in becoming an instant folk hero or a passenger.

Looking back, he had more bad luck than good. Liverpool never knew what they wanted from him. He started five games, none of which Liverpool lost, but he never fitted in and was finally left to moulder in the reserves.

He had a brief spell at QPR on loan but they couldn't afford him. He went to Wimbledon, having been charmed by Joe Kinnear, and made just 11 starts as he found himself in a queue behind Michael Hughes.

He escaped to Manchester City and was the player of the year in their promotion drive of 2000, getting picked on to the PFA's First Division team of the year. He scored four goals in his first six games there and was credited with 17 assists for the season.

Then, for the Premiership season the next year, Joe Royle decided the team would play differently. Kennedy was shelved. Royle left eventually amid rumours of there being a drinking club within the club.

Kennedy was never fancied by Kevin Keegan, who didn't see himself using wingers. He was sold to Wolves, where he continued his pattern of looking a much better player in Division One than he does in the Premiership.

He's been cursed with injuries too. Twice on the first day of the season at Anfield he got Achilles' heel injuries. Injury kept him out of the 2002 World Cup, for which he was picked despite only having managed two qualifiers. And he had played just two league games for Wolves this season before incurring ligament damage.

For somebody called Sparky he never seemed to make the brightest decisions. He visited tabloidland more often than was wise, and my clearest memory of him on a trip was seeing him emerge triumphantly from the duty-free shop at Keflavik airport in Iceland brandishing some brand-new Callaway golf clubs.

The team were moving on to Lithuania for a midweek game. Kennedy had been sent off just hours previously and should have been in disgrace. Instead, he arrived out beaming with the golf clubs in his hand only to be met with derision and rolling eyes. Man comes to the most expensive country on earth to buy his golf clubs!

It seems unlikely we'll ever see him again in an Irish jersey.

We are blessed with left-sided players, and although when he played up front Kennedy was the sort of striker we could use right now, it's been a long, long time since he was asked to perform there. The goals which provided spectacular punctuation to his game have dried up a little. He's scored 20 in his 211 league appearances since leaving Millwall in March of 1995.

So there you are. Mark Kennedy. Coming back from injury this weekend. His birthday falls at the end of each season and he was 28 last May. Maybe four years left of a long, long career. Anything salvageable? Call Graham Kavanagh and ask.

[Fergie's Son]

Sobering reading. Thank you for posting it.

[Royal rover]

Has Staunton ever looked at this possiblity, can;'t be any worse than what we have as fringe players at present, could of been one of the greats in the premiership, brillant crosser of the ball etc,:confused:

[Over the post]

Damien Duff, Andy Reid... even Killer would give Kennedy a run for his money. Plus this O'Brien lad looks like one to watch.

I think Kennedy has missed his chance; he's not getting any younger and is unlikely to see the Premiership again.

[theworm2345]

Has Staunton ever looked at this possiblity, can;'t be any worse than what we have as fringe players at present, could of been one of the greats in the premiership, brillant crosser of the ball etc,:confused:
I think its only me and you...do you perhaps also want Connolly in? You would be my twin
http://foot.ie/showthread.php?p=512736#post512736

[Stuttgart88]

as far as I know Kennedy is playing centrally for Palace this season. can anyone confirm?

[Dr. Ogba]

Has Staunton ever looked at this possiblity, can;'t be any worse than what we have as fringe players at present, could of been one of the greats in the premiership, brillant crosser of the ball etc,:confused:


Says it all about him really...could have been but never was...:rolleyes:

[thelimerick]

No, no, no, no ,no.... and no again!!
No Kennedy's, no Kavanaghs, no Breens, no Dohertys, no Morrisons, no Hartes NO NO NO !!
None of these players offer anything to an Irish team. They have all had their chance and shown to the best of their abilities the worst of their ability.
Each one is a liability and liabilities cost games. Replace each one of these with the emerging talent, tell them they have a chance to stake a claim within the squad let them do the rest

[cavan_fan]

No Kennedy's, no Kavanaghs, no Breens, no Dohertys, no Morrisons, no Hartes NO NO NO !!

A little harsh on one or 2 here,

Breen gave a great deal to the team, admittedly too old now but wouldnt but him is same breath as Kennedy.

Doherty has had very few chances in Defence which is his real position. Although I'm not sure I can watch his weird run whcih seems to be like a kid pretending to be an aeroplane.

Harte for a while was one of our star players and I always feel he suffered most by the Leeds collapse.

[thelimerick]

Breen gave a great deal to the team, admittedly too old now but wouldnt but him is same breath as Kennedy.

Breen was useless. He was at fault for many goals conceded. We lavished praise upon him for his performances (when he had no club) at the world cup yet even then he just did his job. We seem not to be bothered at the majority of occasions where that was not possible for him.



Doherty has had very few chances in Defence which is his real position. Although I'm not sure I can watch his weird run whcih seems to be like a kid pretending to be an aeroplane.

Granted, but the sight of him coming on and running like a demented child, falling over like a dizzy granny is embarassing. I think the opposition assumed he'd won a competition or something.



Harte for a while was one of our star players and I always feel he suffered most by the Leeds collapse.

Thats fair, he has suffered most, but the reality is today he offers no more than an option for free kicks. Thats not good enough when there's 89 other minutes where he gets caught out repeatedly and costs us games. His downside dramatically overshadows his deadball abilities.

[drummerboy]

In fairness to Harte, his weaknesses were never exposed in a competitive game. I can't remember us ever conceding goals because of his perceived lack of defending. I could be wrong though.

Of course then again, he did miss that peno against Spain.

[tetsujin1979]

I can't remember us ever conceding goals because of his perceived lack of defending. I could be wrong though.


Germany at the World Cup, Staunton was screaming at him to watch Klose, but he gave Klose acres of space, and plenty of time to plant a header past Given

[Scram]

Germany at the World Cup, Staunton was screaming at him to watch Klose, but he gave Klose acres of space, and plenty of time to plant a header past Given

He was awfula t the World Cup and shouldn't have started v Spain, confidence gone. But he seems to have upped his game, fitness and confidence since, but one more fcuk up like v Germany and he should be history, form the starting 11 anyway. Oh, and there's the dreadful missed header v the Swiss, but in fairnes, Robbie keane has missed as easy and he's a "striker"

Harte was/is either too lazy, too slow or not bothered....still to be decided which, but you go forward to take a free, you get back ASAP...NOT LIKE YOU'RE ON THE WAY BACK TO HTE OFFICE AFTER LUNCH.

[Condex]

No, no, no, no ,no.... and no again!!
No Kennedy's, no Kavanaghs, no Breens, no Dohertys, no Morrisons, no Hartes NO NO NO !!
None of these players offer anything to an Irish team. They have all had their chance and shown to the best of their abilities the worst of their ability.
Each one is a liability and liabilities cost games. Replace each one of these with the emerging talent, tell them they have a chance to stake a claim within the squad let them do the rest

Agreed, these have players have proved time and time again how useless they are...

[gustavo]

Without those Breens Kennedys Kavanaghs Dohertys Morrisons and Hartes that you so scathingly speak of I doubt we would have made the last World Cup we qualifed for

[tetsujin1979]

Without those Breens Kennedys Kavanaghs Dohertys Morrisons and Hartes that you so scathingly speak of I doubt we would have made the last World Cup we qualifed for

Kavanagh and Morrison didn't play in the qualifiers for Japan/South Korea...Although I take your point, we need the squad players to allow the star players in the team (Duff, Keane, McGeady) to shine

[slondonirish]

kennedy can still do it great cross on him one of the best players at palace this season he and morrison can still do the job.its all well and good saying bring the young players in but to what cost,i think it could cost us our place at the championship you need old eads that know the game and can handle the tempo

[drummerboy]

kennedy can still do it great cross on him one of the best players at palace this season he and morrison can still do the job.its all well and good saying bring the young players in but to what cost,i think it could cost us our place at the championship you need old eads that know the game and can handle the tempo


Agreed. Its unfair to throw a lad like Alan O'Brien and expect him to perform agains a team like Germany. Lunacy. Especially when you have experienced players like Kennedy available.

[Donal81]

Agreed. Its unfair to throw a lad like Alan O'Brien and expect him to perform agains a team like Germany. Lunacy. Especially when you have experienced players like Kennedy available.

I'd disagree with you here. Using your example, I can't for one second see what a player like Mark Kennedy would do for us better than Alan O'Brien.

I know very little about O'Brien and can't see the logic in trying out a player who's yet to play in the Premiership for Newcastle against Germany. But I would much prefer to get someone like O'Brien, a young fella who probably really wants it, to go out and get used to the international level. Essentially, I prefer a manager who isn't afraid to give someone a go to a manager who's petrified of breaking from a formula.

Anyway, O'Brien didn't play that badly against Germany, did he?

Kennedy, first of all, was always ropey at international level, although he had a few cracking games. He got loads and loads of caps, though, and never did it for us consistently. He's ten years older than the likes of O'Brien at this stage and playing at a lower level.

And if he's so good for his clubs, why do they keep bumping him off after one or two seasons?

My point with all this is that for all the experience of Kennedy or Connolly and players like them, they never really delivered for Ireland. At this stage, after several years of tame, below average performances, if Stan scrapped half the team and replaced them with 'babes' from the U21 team, it wouldn't bother me hugely.

[youngirish]

My point with all this is that for all the experience of Kennedy or Connolly and players like them, they never really delivered for Ireland. At this stage, after several years of tame, below average performances, if Stan scrapped half the team and replaced them with 'babes' from the U21 team, it wouldn't bother me hugely.
Too true. Experiementing with potential is better than sticking with tried and trusted dross. Anyone can see that.

I'm not on for throwing 4 kids into the first team straight away to replace the likes of Kilbane, O'Shea etc but a gradual phasing in of one or two young players is needed or we'll continue to go backwards. Unfortunately Staunton seems to be of the Kerr mould and is sticking with the same old dross but I'll give him some more time before making up my mind.

In fairness to Kerr though if there's one thing he did that I'm thankful for it was phasing the likes of Connolly out of the team.

[drummerboy]

Staunton is clutching at straws by playing the likes of Alan O'Brien. Friendlies are the place for experiments. This kid may one day be a decent player and even an international but he is not experienced enough at club level to be playing at competitive international level. There are probably better and more experienced players in the U21 team. ffs I'm not a great fan of Andy Reid but why he wasn't included beggars belief.

[fergalr]

Noooooooooo!

[Wangball]

Noooooooooo!

I concur.............if they're gonna try anyone at left full it should be Stephen Ward or Damien Delaney, not Mark Kennedy, his attitude stinks and he said in the press quite recently that he has no interest in an international recall

[tetsujin1979]

I concur.............if they're gonna try anyone at left full it should be Stephen Ward or Damien Delaney, not Mark Kennedy, his attitude stinks and he said in the press quite recently that he has no interest in an international recall
when did he say that? The most recent quotes I can find from him about playing for Ireland again are from 2006

[seanfhear]

He must have been one of the most talented and promising Irish players of all time but for whatever reason he has never fulfilled his potential

He just did not seem to have the right temperment/attitude to produce it at the higher levels.
I think that he has had enough chances already and has never grasped them.

[Razors left peg]

I dont think we can afford to be writing off anyone at full back for us at the moment, there more options the better

[Torn-Ado]

Doing a good job at left back for Cardiff this season, could be in the premiership next year. With our shortage of left backs he could be worth recalling.

If Cardiff make it to the Premiership, I doubt they'll be bringing Kennedy with them.

[Irish_Praha]

I think that he has had enough chances already and has never grasped them.

I totally agree. Also, even if they lost yesterday, Wolves look much more likely to be promoted and Foley deserves to get his chance too.

[Paddy Garcia]

He must have been one of the most talented and promising Irish players of all time but for whatever reason he has never fulfilled his potential


I'm afraid for many players Anfield has been a graveyard for up & coming Irish talent.

Kennedy was a red hot prospect when he went there.
McAteer was one of the leagues best midfielders - only to be stuck as a wing/full back.
Babb was wanted by many top teams & playing fantastic football.
Keane was one of the Premierships top strikers.

They managed not to ruin Finnan I guess.

[paul_oshea]

Mark kennedy on the right wiinngg waaaas suuuuuuupppeeeeerbb :D

[irishfan86]

People change and mature.

I don't know what he's said about playing for Ireland, but if he's playing well in a position where we are short of options, I don't see the point in writing him off completely.

[SilkCut]

I'm afraid for many players Anfield has been a graveyard for up & coming Irish talent.

Kennedy was a red hot prospect when he went there.
McAteer was one of the leagues best midfielders - only to be stuck as a wing/full back.
Babb was wanted by many top teams & playing fantastic football.
Keane was one of the Premierships top strikers.

They managed not to ruin Finnan I guess.

Or Whelan, Staunton, Lawrenson, Houghton, Aldridge or any other Irish player that was actually good enough to play for one of the top clubs in Europe. McAteer and Babb did quite well considering their "Spice Boys" reputation.

[seanfhear]

I'm afraid for many players Anfield has been a graveyard for up & coming Irish talent.

Kennedy was a red hot prospect when he went there.
McAteer was one of the leagues best midfielders - only to be stuck as a wing/full back.
Babb was wanted by many top teams & playing fantastic football.
Keane was one of the Premierships top strikers.

They managed not to ruin Finnan I guess.
Houllier was the manager for most of the time(bar Keane) that most of these players were at liverpool.

I was not a fan of Houllier and think that he did not do a lot for the career of many players and not just Irish players either.

[as_i_say]

I love it when these old threads appear. From page one "Alan O Brien" one to watch:D

[backstothewall]

I would certainly have another look at him. Thats what friendlies are for. Any option at left back is worth having atm.

Though i would be more keen to have a look at Marcos Painter or Stephen O'Halloran if either of them can get fit and playing regularly for Swansea

[Drumcondra 69er]

I would certainly have another look at him. Thats what friendlies are for. Any option at left back is worth having atm.

Though i would be more keen to have a look at Marcos Painter or Stephen O'Halloran if either of them can get fit and playing regularly for Swansea

Think Stephen Ward would be a better option to have a look at for left back then any of the above myself.

[Stuttgart88]

Damien Delaney has had 2 looks and has done well.

[backstothewall]

Have to hold my hands up on this one. Didn't realise Ward could play leftback, never mind actually doing it for Wolves. I always thought he was a forward. must watch them the next chance i get.

[John83]

Have to hold my hands up on this one. Didn't realise Ward could play leftback, never mind actually doing it for Wolves. I always thought he was a forward. must watch them the next chance i get.
He was. Then he moved to the left wing, and then further back again. Expect him to be a ball-boy by next year. ;)